# Star Wars laser colours **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 8, 2011, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-laser-colours/577646 "2011-04-08T11:17:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2011, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-laser-colours/577646/1 "2011-04-08T11:17:48Z")
I just realized something dumb. Or rather I feel dumb for not noticing it before. In _A New Hope_, Vader’s lightsaber is red to show just how evil he is (red on black is one of those evil contrasts) while Luke’s is blue-green. However, when it comes to spaceships X-Wings and the Falcon fire red lasers while TIEs fire green ones. Is that supposed to mean anything ? ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2011, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-laser-colours/577646/2 "2011-04-08T11:40:11Z")
It’s a mistake. Or rather, the rules on colours hadn’t been properly thought through and established until too late. ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2011, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-laser-colours/577646/3 "2011-04-08T15:24:16Z")
It only means you don’t have enough midichlorians to see the proper color schema. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2011, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-laser-colours/577646/4 "2011-04-08T18:00:45Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > I just realized something dumb. Or rather I feel dumb for not noticing it before. In _A New Hope_, Vader’s lightsaber is red to show just how evil he is (red on black is one of those evil contrasts) while Luke’s is blue-green. However, when it comes to spaceships X-Wings and the Falcon fire red lasers while TIEs fire green ones. > > Is that supposed to mean anything ? I noticed that. I didn’t think of it as a huge matter, and I compared it with small arms in the series. In the original trilogy, don’t all handheld blasters fire red? ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2011, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-laser-colours/577646/5 "2011-04-08T18:05:52Z")
Presumably lightsabers are an entirely different technology than blasters, so it would be odd if there was some kind of color correspondence. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2011, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-laser-colours/577646/6 "2011-04-08T18:41:23Z")
Also the color of the sabers were “sweetened” later to add more color tones. In the original print their basically white. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2011, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-laser-colours/577646/7 "2011-04-08T20:53:23Z")
In _A New Hope_, Luke’s lightsaber is yellow. It’s not green till Empire. I didn’t realize the colors are supposed to signify anything. Just look cool. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2011, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-laser-colours/577646/8 "2011-04-08T21:21:33Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > In _A New Hope_, Luke’s lightsaber is yellow. It’s not green till Empire. > > I didn’t realize the colors are supposed to signify anything. Just look cool. [Blue,](http://spacecollective.org/userdata/BuY5X0Ny/1260161879/luke-skywalker.jpg) not yellow. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2011, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-laser-colours/577646/9 "2011-04-08T21:37:38Z")
Everything you ever wanted to know about Lightsabers-- [HERE!(LINK)](http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Lightsabers) ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2011, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-laser-colours/577646/10 "2011-04-08T22:33:48Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > [Blue,](http://spacecollective.org/userdata/BuY5X0Ny/1260161879/luke-skywalker.jpg) not yellow. **Irishman** is on to something, though. The [action figure](http://www.google.com/imgres?q=luke+skywalker+action+figure&um=1&hl=en&safe=off&sa=N&tbm=isch&tbnid=bMSpatmaJNk57M:&imgrefurl=http://maryannjoy.blogspot.com/2008_03_01_archive.html&ei=GI2fTeuHE9Gbtwf7pqidAw&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=148&oei=GI2fTeuHE9Gbtwf7pqidAw&page=1&tbnh=156&tbnw=106&start=0&ndsp=40&ved=1t:429,r:3,s:0&tx=54&ty=53&biw=1600&bih=799) that was originally marketed to correspond with the movie’s first run had a yellow lightsaber. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2011, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-laser-colours/577646/11 "2011-04-09T01:31:05Z")
> [@spark240](#): > > Presumably lightsabers are an entirely different technology than blasters, so it would be odd if there was some kind of color correspondence. Not really looking for an in-universe explanation or similar fanwank, more of a reason why Lucas chose to do it this way. [QUOTE=robert\_columbia] I noticed that. I didn’t think of it as a huge matter, and I compared it with small arms in the series. In the original trilogy, don’t all handheld blasters fire red? [/QUOTE] I think so, yes. Well, except for the ones very early in ANH when they stun Leia, then the stormtroopers fire blue circles at her instead. Which makes it all the more curious that Empire spaceships (up to and including the Death Star) all fire green. I guess it makes the space dogfights easier to follow, but then why not also do it for the confusing Hoth battle where red lasers are shooting every which way ? ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2011, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-laser-colours/577646/12 "2011-04-09T22:26:23Z")
> [@Superdude](#): > > **Irishman** is on to something, though. The [action figure](http://www.google.com/imgres?q=luke+skywalker+action+figure&um=1&hl=en&safe=off&sa=N&tbm=isch&tbnid=bMSpatmaJNk57M:&imgrefurl=http://maryannjoy.blogspot.com/2008_03_01_archive.html&ei=GI2fTeuHE9Gbtwf7pqidAw&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=148&oei=GI2fTeuHE9Gbtwf7pqidAw&page=1&tbnh=156&tbnw=106&start=0&ndsp=40&ved=1t:429,r:3,s:0&tx=54&ty=53&biw=1600&bih=799) that was originally marketed to correspond with the movie’s first run had a yellow lightsaber. It was yellow on the toys for SW and ESB, (and the first run of Jedi Luke for ROTJ had a blue one instead of green) but it wasn’t that color in the actual movie, in any run. It’s one of those things that changed between supplying licensees with material and the actual movie. Like how Biggs got cut out of most of the movie but still showed up in the storybook, or how Red Squadron was Blue Squadron in the novelizations/comics, but got changed for the actual movie when they suddenly realized “oh crap, this blue on the helmet is gonna mess up the blue screen effects!” ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2011, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-laser-colours/577646/13 "2011-04-10T02:14:10Z")
Forgive me if I implied that the movie (in any run) featured a yellow lightsaber. That wasn’t my intention. I was merely trying to say that the Luke figure from the first run of toys featured a yellow saber. ---
**Author:** ![Kilmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a6a055/32.png) [@Kilmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kilmore)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2011, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-laser-colours/577646/14 "2011-04-10T08:05:10Z")
Red is the color of laser badassery in Star Wars. While you still suck your laser is green. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2011, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-laser-colours/577646/15 "2011-04-10T14:36:47Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > [Blue,](http://spacecollective.org/userdata/BuY5X0Ny/1260161879/luke-skywalker.jpg) not yellow. That picture is not a still of any scene in the movie “Star Wars.” I’m actually finding it remarkably hard to find a still from the movie. Google searches return so much shit for “Star Wars.” ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2011, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-laser-colours/577646/16 "2011-04-10T15:38:00Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > That picture is not a still of any scene in the movie “Star Wars.” > > I’m actually finding it remarkably hard to find a still from the movie. Google searches return so much shit for “Star Wars.” I googled “a new hope lightsaber duel,” and I got [this](http://www.google.com/imgres?q=a+new+hope+lightsaber+duel&um=1&hl=en&safe=off&sa=N&tbm=isch&tbnid=C673W5TnujzTLM:&imgrefurl=http://www.itsvery.net/star-wars-4.html&ei=Ks6hTb3UPIijtge-4p2gAw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=1259&vpy=100&dur=1321&hovh=168&hovw=300&tx=145&ty=130&oei=Ks6hTb3UPIijtge-4p2gAw&page=1&tbnh=153&tbnw=219&start=0&ndsp=29&ved=1t:429,r:6,s:0&biw=1600&bih=799) amidst the results. ---
**Author:** ![Leiko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Leiko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leiko)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2011, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-laser-colours/577646/17 "2011-04-10T16:25:43Z")
> [@Superdude](#): > > I googled “a new hope lightsaber duel,” and I got [this](http://www.google.com/imgres?q=a+new+hope+lightsaber+duel&um=1&hl=en&safe=off&sa=N&tbm=isch&tbnid=C673W5TnujzTLM:&imgrefurl=http://www.itsvery.net/star-wars-4.html&ei=Ks6hTb3UPIijtge-4p2gAw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=1259&vpy=100&dur=1321&hovh=168&hovw=300&tx=145&ty=130&oei=Ks6hTb3UPIijtge-4p2gAw&page=1&tbnh=153&tbnw=219&start=0&ndsp=29&ved=1t:429,r:6,s:0&biw=1600&bih=799) amidst the results. That link just takes me to the Google search page. So [here’s the page](http://www.itsvery.net/star-wars-4.html)you find your image on. ---
**Author:** ![Who\_me\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/958977/32.png) [@Who\_me\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Who_me_1)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-laser-colours/577646/18 "2011-04-11T15:46:53Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > That picture is not a still of any scene in the movie “Star Wars.” > > I’m actually finding it remarkably hard to find a still from the movie. Google searches return so much shit for “Star Wars.” Not a still… [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ukbTFgQ4jxs/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AH-BIAC4AOKAgwIABABGHIgUig9MA8=&rs=AOn4CLBHYrASUx9oZHosaMNxpy4cypgTCQ "Obi Wan talking to Luke Star Wars Episode IV A New Hope") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukbTFgQ4jxs) ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-laser-colours/577646/19 "2011-04-11T16:24:21Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > That picture is not a still of any scene in the movie “Star Wars.” > > I’m actually finding it remarkably hard to find a still from the movie. Google searches return so much shit for “Star Wars.” Okay, how about [this one](http://media.photobucket.com/image/recent/rightmeeeow/LukeSkywalkerbluelightsaberEpisodeI.jpg) instead? ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-laser-colours/577646/20 "2011-04-11T16:51:22Z")
Shows you the power of observation. I recall the original figure with they yellow lightsaber. I do not recall the movie showing it bluish, and yet there it is. Touche. I started reading that link, but it is way too long. The original movies have no explanation for the laser colors or lightsaber colors. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-laser-colours/577646.md?page=2)